Surreal audio (at)

Re the note from Pat Fleckenstein on British surrealistic audio.
It's true. "Audio gratia audio" seems to be a stronger influence
in Britain than in North America. Maybe some of the British correspondents
on this bboard can enlighten us about the origins. My guess (not particularly
informed) would be that it could be traced back to the BBC and to a
particularly talented and influential audio team there.
I recall an episode of Masterpiece Theatre which began with a
long shot of a desolate heath. In the distance a man is walking ...
Probably it's a man ... the person is so far away that it's hard to
be sure. The accompanying audio track records the footsteps on gravel ...
"crunch, crunch ..." Sounds to me like I'm chewing ice cubes. It does
not fit at all with the video.
But remember ... it's the same tradition that brought us the
most excellent sound for the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Bill